Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian, popularly hailed as the “Queen of the North,” has taken her estranged ex-lover, businessman Musa Hussein Lenyumpa, to court in a fierce legal bid to have a judge declare that no marriage ever existed between them.
The petition, lodged before the Milimani Commercial Magistrate’s Court, unfolds like a high-stakes drama, a tale woven with cultural traditions, alleged deceit, bruised pride, and an intense fight to reclaim her reputation.
Lemaletian, the nominated senator from Samburu County, is adamant that their relationship never crossed into lawful matrimony under any recognised Kenyan system, be it customary, statutory, or otherwise.
“There was no marriage. No cows were paid, no dowry was negotiated or agreed upon, and no formal or customary wedding took place,” she asserts in her affidavit.
Her petition paints a picture of a romance that began with tradition but never reached the altar. The two met through Samburu customary processes, procedures intended for courtship, not marriage. Hussein, she says, sought help from elders to pursue her while she was abroad.
“Culturally, the defendant sought through the elders to assist him procure a wife, that is the plaintiff, whilst the plaintiff was not in the country at the time, subject to satisfaction of traditional customary requirements,” the court papers read.
The understanding was clear, either party could, at any time, request the elders to revoke their consent if the courtship soured. Lemaletian insists she exercised that right and refused to become Hussein’s wife.
At the heart of the dispute is Sh100,000, described in Samburu culture as ropiyani e loip or pesa ya kivuli (shadow money), a token signalling the start of romantic pursuit.
“At courtship I sought to have the consent revoked by the elders, as I was hesitant, and subsequently requested for the return of the offering of Sh100,000,” she explained.
Her lawyer, Danstan Omari, stresses this token was not a dowry. Under Samburu custom, he notes, dowry equals eight cows, which Hussein never paid, nor was the process even initiated.
The Sh100,000, he says, was refunded in full once she rejected the proposal.
Despite this, Lemaletian claims Hussein misconstrued the gesture as a replacement for dowry and began presenting himself publicly as her husband.
As the relationship crumbled, she alleges, Hussein’s behaviour turned violent. She recounts incidents of physical assault, verbal abuse, and threats, including one episode where she suffered a nosebleed, and even a Good Samaritan who intervened was allegedly threatened by Hussein.
“Hussein started being violent physically and verbally, hurling insults at me and accusing me of untruths,” she said in her affidavit.
These experiences, she argues, have put her safety and mental well-being at risk. She accuses Hussein of launching a campaign of misinformation, spreading false claims of marriage both offline and on social media.
“The respondent continues to be a threat to me and my safety and is spreading misinformation that he is married to me, which allegation is false,” she states.
Omari accuses Hussein of weaponising bloggers and social media influencers to tarnish the senator’s name, a damaging blow for a politician whose career depends on public trust.
“The respondent is using bloggers and social media influencers to tarnish the name of the petitioner, who relies on her goodwill for the discharge of her political duties,” Omari says.
For Lemaletian, the stakes are high. She warns that Hussein’s actions threaten not just her personal security but her ability to serve her constituents effectively.
“I have never married Mr. Musa Hussein Lenyumpa. Our relationship was at the courtship stage under Samburu customs and did not progress to marriage. The false claims of marriage are damaging to me personally and professionally. I seek only to protect my name, my safety, and my career,” she insists.
In her suit, filed under the Marriage Act, 2014, Lemaletian seeks several orders: a declaration that no marriage exists, an injunction barring Hussein from portraying himself as her husband or using her name, and a restraining order preventing him from harassing her or accessing her home or workplace.
Her pleas bore fruit on 12 August 2025, when Milimani Magistrate Festus Terer granted her a restraining order against Hussein. The court barred him from approaching her residence or office, from using her image or name in a defamatory manner, and from any further harassment.
Hussein has been directed to file his responses by 18 August 2025. The matter will return to court on 22 September 2025, a date that could determine whether the “Queen of the North” finally closes this turbulent chapter.
